Saltash Town Council declares no confidence in South West Water

A single line buried in the minutes of a full council meeting can carry a lot of weight. On 3 September 2026, Saltash Town Council added one that will make South West Water sit up: a unanimous vote of no confidence in the company responsible for the region’s water and sewage.

What was put to the council

The vote followed a report on the Dowr Glan Clean Water Campaign, presented at the Full Town Council Meeting. Dowr Glan is a Cornwall-wide grassroots effort bringing together town and parish councils, community groups and residents worried about sewage pollution, falling water quality and rising bills. Its aim is to get councils across the county pulling in the same direction on reforming how water and wastewater services are managed and overseen.

As part of its Clean Water campaign, Dowr Glan has been asking town and parish councils to back a formal letter addressed to Cornwall’s MPs, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Ofwat and Cornwall Council. The letter is pitched not as a protest but as a formal challenge to South West Water‘s continued suitability to hold its existing operating licence.

Where councillors drew the line

Saltash councillors backed the broad aims of Dowr Glan and the push for better water quality, but they did not support one specific plank of the campaign: transferring water and wastewater services into public ownership. Members said that call sits outside the Town Council’s remit.

What they did agree on, unanimously, was the concern underneath it. Councillors shared worries about how Cornwall’s sewage infrastructure is being managed and what that means for the environment and public health, and voted to formally declare no confidence in South West Water.

Members also delegated Saltash Town Councillor Scott Slavin to write to the Dowr Glan Clean Water Campaign, replying directly to Cllr Mael Garrec of Penryn Town Council, who had first contacted Saltash about the campaign. A copy of the official letter is available on the Town Council’s website.

What the council is saying

Mayor Cllr Brian Stoyel set out the balance the council tried to strike:

“Clean water and a healthy environment are priorities for our community. While the Town Council did not support all aspects of the motion, we share the concerns about sewage pollution and its impact on Cornwall’s environment and public health.”

Scott Slavin, who penned the reply on the council’s behalf, was equally direct about where Saltash stands and where it won’t go:

“I have written to the Dowr Glan Clean Water Campaign on behalf of Saltash Town Council. The Town Council shares concerns about sewage pollution and water quality and supports efforts to ensure greater accountability and improvements for communities across Cornwall. It cannot, however, advocate for public utility companies being taken into state ownership.”

Saltash joins a growing list of Cornish councils weighing in on the Dowr Glan campaign, with the letter to Cllr Garrec now on record as the town’s formal position.